Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says President Donald Trump has indicated he's prepared to sign the government funding bill to avert another government shutdown and issue a national emergency on the border at the same time. (Feb. 14)
AP

Sen. Rob Portman, R-Terrace Park

Portman, in a statement, praised the compromise bill but expressed concerns about the legality of declaring a national emergency for a border wall.

"I would prefer we work together to find a legislative solution instead of declaring a national emergency that will likely be tied up in the courts," Portman said in a statement.

Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Cleveland

Brown called Trump's border wall a "vanity project."

“Any effort to take funding away from our military to support the President’s vanity project is reckless and irresponsible," Brown said in a statement. "The President needs to drop the threats, sign this bill and stop standing in the way of important work like protecting pensions for millions of workers and retirees, bringing down the cost of prescription drugs, or rewriting the tax code to put people first.” said Brown. “One of the first things Congress should do is provide back pay for the contract workers the President hurt with his shutdown.”

Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.(Louisville)

McConnell, on the floor of the Senate just before the vote on the funding bill, expressed support for the national emergency to build the wall.

"I’ve just had an opportunity to speak with President Trump and he – I would say to all my colleagues –has indicated he’s prepared to sign the bill," McConnell said. "He will also be issuing a national emergency declaration at the same time. And I’ve indicated to him that I’m going to support the national emergency declaration.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.(Bowling Green)

Paul, in a strongly worded statement, made clear he didn't like the last-minute nature of the deal or the declaration of a national emergency.

"I’m disappointed with both the massive, bloated, secretive bill that just passed and with the president’s intention to declare an emergency to build a wall," Paul said in the statement. "I, too, want stronger border security, including a wall in some areas. But how we do things matters. Over 1,000 pages dropped in the middle of the night and extraconstitutional executive actions are wrong, no matter which party does them.”

Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Westwood

Resolving the border wall money through negotiations is better than declaring a national emergency, Chabot wrote in his blog on Jan. 30. He detailed the murky legalities surrounding a presidential declaration of a national emergency to pay for something.

"Can he legally do that? It’s unclear," Chabot wrote. "There’s no question that Liberals/Democrats would file lawsuits, probably in the 9th Circuit, the most liberal federal court in the nation, and President Trump would likely lose there. However, in the U.S. Supreme Court, it could go either way."

Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Troy

Davidson in early January joined a group of Freedom Caucus members urging Trump to not use a national emergency to build a wall, Politico reported.

"[Trump] has more options on the table than what I have read about," Davidson told Politico in January. "We shared some of those ideas."

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky.(Garrison)

Did not immediately respond Thursday.

Rep. Brad Wenstrup, R-Columbia Tusculum

Did not immediately respond Thursday.

Former Ohio Governor John Kasich

"The President is right to sign the border compromise legislation," Kasich tweeted. "The courts must quickly review his dubious emergency declaration so that he and future Presidents are limited in their ability to declare national emergencies."

The President is right to sign the border compromise legislation. The courts must quickly review his dubious emergency declaration so that he and future Presidents are limited in their ability to declare national emergencies. pic.twitter.com/Nzr1HqwrC6